In a greenhouse at Foster's Family Farm in North Gower, about 45 kilometers south of Parliament Hill, juvenile tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, romaine and other traditional seedlings wait to be transplanted in nearby fields. Among the shoots are also plug trays full of delicate callaloo (pronounced kah-lah-loo) plants.
Callaloo is a leafy green vegetable common in Caribbean dishes. It's especially popular in Jamaica, where it's often steamed with salted cod and spices, sometimes with garlic, onions and tomatoes added.
Despite its reputation as a flavorful and nutritious superfood, fresh callaloo isn't easy to find in Canada, though major grocery chains and specialty stores do carry the canned variety. The seasonal agricultural workers who return to Mel Foster's farm each year were missing this familiar taste of home, so a few years ago they suggested he try growing it. Foster agreed.
"With new Canadians coming, it's always a topic of what new vegetables we can grow from their home country that they're familiar with," he said.
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